


The Picky Eater

by ncisduckie



Series: Love Me, Love You [10]
Category: Skip Beat!
Genre: F/M, Future Fic, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:00:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23269588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ncisduckie/pseuds/ncisduckie
Summary: Tsuruga Ren's castmates are suspicious when they spot him with an impressive-looking bento. Wasn't this man's one flaw that he couldn't cook?
Relationships: Mogami Kyoko/Tsuruga Ren
Series: Love Me, Love You [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1294400
Comments: 5
Kudos: 131





	The Picky Eater

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mimag](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mimag/gifts).



> Mimagren asked for me to get some more fluff out, so I decided to brush off my outlines from KyokoRen Week 2019 that I had to abandon when I started residency :’)
> 
> The word for this prompt was ‘eat.’
> 
> Note: This was outlined before the Kana Tabloid incident but still kind of works? It’s set in an unknown future.
> 
> Please Enjoy!

“Wow, Tsuruga, that looks good,” someone said as they slid into the table across from Ren. “I didn’t think you cooked.” 

Ren opened his mouth, ready to agree, but another one of his castmates interrupted before he had the chance. “You’re also supposed to be famously bad at remembering to eat lunch.” His castmate laughed. “And that’s because you’re a bad cook.”

The original speaker scoffed. “That interview must have been a lie because that bento looks legit.”

If it were a different day, when the food service table provided something fancier, perhaps they would have never noticed Ren’s bento. But it was hard today when it stuck out like a sore thumb. It was an elegant display of food they didn’t normally see in bentos. When their girlfriends had made them meals, it was all cutesy and not filling. Ren’s looked hearty as well as handmade. It made their meals look like a fast-food order.

Taking a deep breath, Ren opened his mouth to explain that Kyoko had brought food from the restaurant she lives at. Except he barely got one word out before he was interrupted. “I--” 

“His girlfriend must have made it,” one of them joked. “Isn’t he supposed to be dating Kana-san?” 

This again? Ren sighed. “She’s not--” 

“That makes sense. I heard that Kana-san is a wonderful chef.” He patted Ren on the back. “A perfect match for a hopeless chef.” 

“No,” Ren said, pulling away from his castmate. He was already so tired of this conversation. He should have asked Yashiro and Kyoko if they could eat in his dressing room. But Kyoko insisted on being social.

“She’s not great at cooking?” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Or trouble in paradise?” 

“I wouldn’t know; I’m not dating her.” Ren rubbed a hand across his face. “Haven’t you heard? Every interview asks me about her, even after all this time. And the answer is still the same: Kana-san and I are not together.” 

“Well, I mean, I  _ heard _ .” He shrugged. “But everybody lies during interviews. I thought you were keeping it on the down-low.....” 

“They have dessert at food services, you guys!” Kyoko runs to the table, dropping her tray in the space beside Ren. A pretty parfait with juicy strawberries and whipped cream on top sat on her tray, along with an assortment of cookies. Beside it was a very familiar bento box. Her smile dropped when she realized that the whole table, excluding Ren, was staring at her. “Did I interrupt something?” 

One of their castmates smirked, folding his arms over the table. “No, but you did answer a few questions.”

Kyoko blinked. “I did?” She looked to Ren for answers, but he avoided eye contact and stared at the rice in his bento instead. “Was it the dessert?” She pushed her tray forward. “You all want some?” 

He scrunched his brows together and nudged her offer away. Couldn’t she read the atmosphere? This was bigger than the desserts. In fact, he turned away from Kyoko entirely and addressed his next question back to Ren: “Why didn’t you just say that you were dating Kyoko-chan?”

Ren flinched. He didn’t both responding to the accusation. But for the guys across the table, it was answer enough.

“Tsuruga-san, why didn’t you tell me we were dating? I would have made you something special for lunch.” Kyoko daintily covered her laugh, watching as Ren’s ears burned. “I can’t have my boyfriend eating a to-go bento from some restaurant. He should be eating something handmade!” 

Yashiro arrived at the table just in time to watch Kyoko and Ren’s castmates’ jaws drop. He set his tray on the table, turning to find Kyoko with a mischievous grin plastered on her face. “What did I miss?” he asked, trying to keep his face neutral.

“Apparently Tsuruga-san and I are dating,” Kyoko supplied with a bright smile.

Yashiro pursed his lips, trying not to laugh. So, that’s what this was. “Well, then. I’ll alert the tabloids,” he said, sitting beside Kyoko. “I’m sure they’d want to know that Tsuruga Ren is off the market.”

Their castmates watched Yashiro’s non-reaction with perplexed awe. And that’s when they noticed exactly what was on his tray. A coffee from the vending machine. One of those cutesy parfaits. 

And a picture-perfect bento.


End file.
